Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-23
THE SUNDAY EXCURSION.
People Who Go Down the River on
Sunday Afternoon.
SCENES ON THE sTEAMBoAT-FAMILY PARTIES
BABIES AND BAsKETs-sPooNING COUPLES ANr
YOUTHS on LARK-THR RIVER REsoRT-rHE
EVENING SAIL, HOMEwARD, ETC.

| Everybody goes on Sunday excursions At least
that is what who stood at the 9TH street tunc-
ton Sunday afternoon would think, and his con-
vict1on would be stronger IL he extended his OBJ
seryations still further and went down the river
/ on an excursion boat himself. warm Sunday
! afternoon toward o'clock the population seems
TO center around the 7th-Street Junction Car
after car, loaded down so the horses are scarcely
able to drag them along, bring each small army
of people, who seamper out at the junction to get
their transfer tickets and secure good seats In
car bound for the steamboat wharves Family
parties-father, mother, half grown children baby
and lunch baskets, little parties OF two that may
be expanded In years to come to family parties
unattached young men, who go down the river for
lark, and more elderly men, who 90 down for the
comfort and the cooling sail on the water-theSe
and many others pass through the junction.
AT THE RIVER FRONT
the cars let out groups OF passengers at every
wharf. All along the line are steamers with flags
flying and black clouds rolling out of their smoke
stacks just ready to back out into the channel
and turn their bows down stream ON some of
the boats bands are playing to attract people who
nave nave NOT YET mace up their minds what boat to
the ticket offices there are animated scenes as
the fast-arrfv1ng excursiOniStS press forward to
Ouy their tickets. The STAR reporter pressed
with the throng through a narrow passage and
bought ticket that entitled him to a firSt-clasS
passage on the steamer Bill Jones to Comfort
Landing. From the passage he emerged upon the
wharf and beheld the Bill Jones with crowds of
passengers already thrDngtng her decks. Dainty
ments. were floating gaily out on the breeze and
good view OF the sOles of the boots OF large
number OF male passengers who had secured COIN
Portable attitudes with their feet resting on the
railinSs could be obtained.
ON DECK.
once aboard scramble was going on for seats.
There are always camp chairs enough, but only
about one In a hundred have backs. The knowing
sunday eXcursiOnist begins q search as soon as he
"A a haP
IMMIGRATION one experiences in q sail down the
river does not compensate one entirely for sitting
up stlfl1y and stra1ghtly for couple OF hours on
Il low stool. Then among the more experienced
ekcurS0niStS calculations are made as To which
sue Oh tne ooa. VIII De the shady side going down
the river, and there is considerable hubbub as
they SHIFT their chairs about and dispose them
selves In congenial groups on the open deck. Then
the baby has to be attended TO- the small boy
has TO be warned dozen times not TO lean over the
rail- mamma, still Mustered by her hurried trip
TO the wharf. suddenly calls to mind that
she mas Forgotten baby cup, and there is a great
oVerhaullnS OF packages and baskets, and finally
the cup Is found In papa's pocket, and thus the
Time quickly passes until the steam whistle gives
Two or three toots OF warming to all shore that
the Bill Jones Is about to sail There is some evil
aeace , ABOUT the gang plank that the boats officers
lay hold OF the hawsers, but they do not do any
tning with them: The steam whistle again sounds.
1t Is something like the auctiOneer'S gOing, going,
gotng," the present participle does not glide into
The perfect very readily.
THE LAST ARRIVALS.
Away up It'll street two heavily loaded cars are
deserted numbering down toward the wharf
Slowly they come down TO the wharf, The next
instant score Or more of excursionists redeemed
by haste and excitement, burst through the
passage upon the little wharf. The last excur-
sionist and the last basket is hurried aboard the
whistle tOotS gone, the gang plank is hauled In,
away down in the depths somewhere a gong NAV
be heard tnkling-talking to the engfneer-the
wheels, and the boat begins to move away. giving
the wharf final affectiOnate grinding hug as il
leaves.
THE TRIP DOWN.
About the same time other steamboats, that
have been footing at other wharves move out into
the channel and turn down stream. once fairly
atloat many OF the excurs1OnistS settle down to
the enjoyment OF the river breeze and to view the
scenery. The arsenal point, with It's green grass
1rowning guns, and grim-loOking barracks, the
distant view of the navy-yard, the wooded hill
crowned with the turreted st. Elizabeth Hospital,
and the city or Alexandria looming up ahead
occupy the eyes of those who have come TO enjoy
such things. The little pleasure boats dancing on
the river, the occupants OF which wave handker-
chief or hat as the big steamboat rushes by. and
receive In return handkerchief salute from every
port hole OF the steamboat, please the children
them. But there are some who have no eyes for
these passing things.
ONE OF THE COUPLES
There ID one couple, youth In a new, high and
stin white collar, adjusted with mathematical &C
curacy to a very stin shirt with blue stripes and
has no eyes for anything but little blonde In a
cool gray suit. The striped shirt and white collar
blonde They SIT with their backs Turned toward
the water and the passing panorama. They get as
near TO each other as Steamboat properties will
allow. Now and then the lips OF the striped and
check young man move as II murmuring some
thing; the limpd blue eyes are turned from their
contemplation OF the striped shirt up toward the
young mans face, and the pretty lips move In re-
sponse THERE'S a certain tendency on the part OF
Ihe hands OF the young man and the little blonde
10 seek each other. They keep coming together
and then, after toying minute, drop each other
10 Shsepish sort or way. Even striped shirt
a and bold collar are not proof against the DIM
tack Of this kind are afflicted But the young cou
pie soon lose all interest even In the breezes that
blow, and retire from the deck to the salonn
where they drop almost entirely out of view have
much more comfortable seat and can continue
their loye-making in comparative privacy.
THEY CONE WITH TRAYS.
Before the boat has got out OF sight Of the
wharf two or three colOred men In white aprons
and carrying trays begin to stumble around
among the excursiOnists, appealing TO them to give
them orders for refreshing drinks. Their first ef
forts avail but little One of the walters looks over
the crowd and cries out In half cOnten pt uo,,s
half persuasive tone: .'NOw, gentlemen don't ne
ashamed TO ORDER what you want. Its all right"
Thus treasured the small man with a red nose and
red handkerchief about his neck, forming an ex-
quisfte harmony OF color, gives the waiter a
young gentlemen, with simpering faces and very
loud necktiss, who are out TO have ''time hold
q Drlcl conference, and one Of them beckOnS to
the waiter and cOnfdeS TO him In an undertone
the result OF their deliberations, then the
father OF large family communicates with
the waiter and he disappears to emerge
soon with tray holding glasses OF beer for the
red nOSed gentleman and the three young men and
wholesale consignment OF lemonade for the large
family. Having thus opened business, the wait
ers are kept moving about briskly. In fact all
waiter has TO do Is TO appear at one OF the
windows looking upon the deck stick his head
out and yell 'Heres the old reg'Iar now, what III
We naVe?' The three young men on q lark and
others who have established confidential reIa-
lions with the waiter, wink or nod, hold I'D one
or TWO or three fingers according to the extent of
the order thus communicated The result is
many excursions made by the waiter TO some mys-
FERROUS fountain In the depths or the vessel that
seems 10 now perpetually with beer and lemonade
| KEEPING UP JOLLY APPEARANCE
Then there was rotund middle-aged man. with
| goatee and moustache, who kept hlmmng songs
about being dude, and also tender ballad about
Little Sallie Waters" His eyes were a little
was cruinpied and sOied. He had evidently been
having what he considered q good time and was
SUN enoeavOr1ng 10 keep up In his mind delusion
tnat ne was having one of the tOllieSt experiences
OF MS me- He ran across groups OF acquaintanceS
and insisted, lmperfOuSly, upon giving orders for
refreshing drinks that included the whole party
what Will your lady have? A lemonade? What
| nothing at all? Oh no, madam, that will not do
Here. waiter, bring the lady lemonade Lun It'd
| ole de dunn, lum te tiddlety te Pardon me have
| to sing. always feel like singing, you know in
such party" But the rOtund gentlcman's eyes
kept getting closed up more and more, the tune he
humined became more and more mixed up and
seemed TO come with more effort, aud he finally
abandoned all pretense Of 1Ollity, and, seeking
sofa In the saloon, kept In retirement for the re-